1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to outriggers that are used on fishing boats typically for fishing line separation while fishing, and specifically to an improved outrigger boom that has a variable length formed in sections that telescope and lock together.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of outriggers on fishing vessels for line separation is well known. Typically, an outrigger is pivotally anchored near the stern of the boat on each side and includes an elongated boom that can be positioned angularly relative to the hull of the vessel. A movable rigging line containing a clip to releasably hold a fishing line is attached to the elongated boom to allow moving the fishing line out along the boom of the outrigger for separation purposes. Although these outriggers work fine, storing them becomes a problem because of their length, which requires them to be positioned parallel to the hull of the boat, taking up space and often getting in the way.
The introduction and use of telescopically positionable outrigger booms is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,196 issued to applicant shows a sport fishing outrigger apparatus that has a plurality of elongated tubular sections of progressively smaller cross sections telescopically joined to form an outrigger boom that can be adjusted between a retracted position and a fully extended position or lengths in-between. A plurality of manual spring biased tube locks, each including a locking button biased radially outward through a hole within the elongated tubular sections, with each elongated tubular section having a second hole positioned within an opposite end of each elongated tubular section is provided. The telescoping outrigger tube sections are typically locked in place by an internal spring loaded mechanism using a hair spring clip that pushes a bullet through drilled holes in the adjacent tubes.
One of the drawbacks of the internal hair spring and internal spring load design is that at least one of the punched holes in the telescoping tube sections is subjected to stress resulting in hole enlargement (wallowing-out) over time due to the repeated metal to metal pin contact during normal service. Components in the internal operating locking systems, such as the bullet, can also scratch the tubing and promote corrosion due to the internal pin rubbing against the metal tubing during operation. This is exasperated by exposure to salt water resulting in shortened component life, especially if regular maintenance is neglected.
Other prior art, patent pending by Roger Wilcox (US 2004/0016385), uses an internally supported spring pressured bullet type locking system similar to the granted U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,196 that locks the inner and outer telescoping tube sections together.
While the Wilcox design uses an internal rib inside the telescoping tubes to keep the locking holes inside the tube in alignment, it does not alleviate the potential problem of the locking holes becoming wallowed out due to undesirable movement between the extended tubes.
Furthermore, the design does not use a plastic composition bullet tip, allowing the inner spring activated metallic Bullet Lock to contact the inner metallic wall of the larger outer tube resulting in excessive wear, corrosion, and possible component failure.
Another shortcoming of the Wilcox design is that it does not include a rigging eyelet feature that is permanently indexed to the telescoping tube sections. The eyelet is instead secured by a screw that can loosen, allowing the eyelet to rotate under load and cause rigging line entanglement.
The present invention presents a telescoping outrigger system that resolves problems associated with the prior art including:                the tendency of holes punched in tubular sections used for engagement of the locking mechanism to wallow out;        the loss of material and resulting corrosion on the surface of tubular sections in direct contact with the metal tip of the bullet lock;        the intrusion of water and other contaminants between the tubular sections, resulting in premature component aging;        the undesirable movement of the telescoping sections of the outrigger boom during use in the extended position;        the difficulty of aligning, and maintaining alignment of the eyelets used for the rigging;        the difficulty in aligning and engaging the bullet lock with the telescoping section; and        the possibility of the telescoping sections disengaging from each other during use, possibly becoming lost.        
Solutions to these problems and additional refinements are presented herein.